Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandro Rioja
Hi Alejandro, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Bolivia and moved to the U.S. for college, where I attended UCLA. While there, I launched my first business, Flux Chargers, out of necessity to pay for my education. I started selling the chargers in the streets of Santa Monica, and then scaled it to over 75+ countries. That experience taught me invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship, customer focus, and scaling a brand.
Since then, I’ve done a lot of side projects and businesses, each teaching me something new.
Most recently, I started Pickleland, an indoor pickleball facility in Austin, TX. Pickleball combines my love for sports, social connection, and problem-solving. I’ve applied everything I’ve learned over the years—listening to customers, creating a great experience, and building a strong community—to make Pickleland the best place to play pickleball in Austin.
It’s been a rewarding journey, and I’m excited to see where it leads next!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a completely smooth road, but that’s to be expected when you’re building something from the ground up. One of our biggest challenges was finding the perfect location—balancing affordability, accessibility, and permitting requirements while ensuring the space could accommodate a top-tier pickleball experience. It took months of research and negotiation, but I’m proud of where we landed.
Construction was a brand new area for me so I learned a lot about materials, timelines and working with builders, architects and designers. I spent a lot of time researching the materials I wanted to use. From court surfacing to lighting, I didn’t just rely on brochures or recommendations—rather, I flew to over 50 facilities across the US to play at different courts and talk to various owners and operators. This hands-on approach took more time and effort but was crucial to delivering the quality I wanted.
Finally, building awareness and trust in a competitive market has been another interesting challenge. We’ve overcome this by leaning into our community-centric approach—listening to players, refining our offerings, and focusing on delivering value. I manage a Slack channel with over 3000 players in Austin who provide ideas and feedback to make us better. We also leaned on the digital marketing lessons I’ve learned over the 10+ years I worked at startups https://alejandrorioja.com/best-articles
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Pickleland is a premium indoor pickleball facility in Austin, designed by players who love the game. We have aimed to create a superior pickleball experience, offering 9 indoor courts with professional-grade surfacing, ample spacing, and thoughtful amenities like fully fenced courts, dark walls for ball visibility, and padded areas for safety.
What sets us apart is our user-centric approach. We surveyed over 100+ players during the planning phase to ensure every detail—from programming formats to amenities—meets their needs. This focus extends beyond the courts; we provide flexible membership options, innovative open play formats, lessons, tournaments, and event hosting, all designed to deliver the most fun experience. Our 200+ 5-star reviews testify to our customer dedication from the staff to the court quality.
Brand-wise, we are most proud of our community. Pickleland isn’t just a place to play—it’s where players of all levels can connect, improve, and thrive. Whether you’re here for a social match, a competitive league, or just a fun day out, you’ll find an inclusive, well-run environment tailored to pickleball enthusiasts.
I invite everyone reading to come see why we’re quickly becoming Austin’s go-to pickleball destination!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is continuous self-growth and striving to improve every day. As the stoics would say, “The obstacle is the way”, I can appreciate a challenge that pushes me to become better.
Whether it’s learning a new skill, building a business, or traveling to a new country, I want to look back and feel proud of the risks I took, the lessons I learned, and the memories I made. So far, I have rarely regretted trying new things and pushing myself, so I plan to continue doing it. That’s not to say that it’s all fun and games, there’s certainly plenty of times when I want to quit, give up, or take a break. I overcome this feeling by telling myself that it would all be worth it in the end.
Pricing:
- Memberships $39-$99/mo: https://pickleland.com/
memberships - Open Play Pickleball $5-$15 https://pickleland.com/
product/open-play-pickleball- austin - Lessons $60-$140: https://play.pickleland.com/
programs?facility_id=970& category=Clinic&search=&view= grid - Court Rentals $0-$40: https://play.pickleland.com/
book/pickleland
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pickleland.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picklelandatx/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/picklelandATX
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@picklelandATX
- Yelp: https://pickleland.com/yelp
- Other: https://pickleland.com/visit
Image Credits
Phil Warner. https://www.instagram.com/aboveinteractive
